L18: Levels of Perspective Taking, Embodiment, and Neural Substrates

Mentalizing

the process of inferring or attributing mental states to others

or the system that generates 2nd order mental states about others

Network Connectivity for Perspective Taking

right TPJ INCREASING synchronization with sensorimotor areas (SMC, SMA, PPC) and social processing areas (left TPJ, medial PFC, PCC) — related to the mentalizing network as well

right TPJ DECREASING synchronization with the ventral vosual stream (VOTC, ATL) — allows us to flip seeing information from the external outside world to an internal POV

The TPJ Theta-Network Hub Model (Seymour et al, 2018)

TMS Interfering with Processing (Wang, 2016)

TMS to TPJ modulates processing in a specific way

TMS modulates embodiment effect, it slows down the congruent posture condition but has little effect on the incongruent posture condition

Is the TPJ Hub Really Crucial? (Martin, 2020)

Anodal HD-tDCS to rTPJ increases embodiment (posture effect) uduring perspective taking but not perspective tracking

further corroborates rTPJ as crucial hub

modulation of perspective taking but only with rTPJ, only involved in level 2 perspective taking NOT level 1

TMS Entraining (Gooding-Williams, 2017)

stimulate the rTPJ at two different frequencies

hypothesis: more theta would be better for perspective taking and more alpha would be worse for perspective taking

hypothesis correct, brain-network hub for putting yourself into another’s shows via THETA oscillations

Spontaneous Disembodiment

when one’s visual perspective and one’s self are experienced to have departed from their habitual position within one’s body

Blanke et al (2005)

study 1: participants performed a modified version of a mental own-body transformation task

study 2: epileptic patient that experined OBE due to seizures

conclusions: patient data link DELIBERATE mental transofrmation of one’s own body schema and perspective to neural mechanisms of OBEs = consistent with role of TPJ in eSR/VPT-2, TPJ mediates 3 phenomenological aspects of self — visuospatial perspective, self location, and experienced unity of the self

Seymour et al (2025)

level 1 perspective taking not really affected in autism

autistic group shows an alpha effect and vice versa for non-autistic group

decrease in alpha is an indication of increased processing, focusing harder

two groups use different tsrategies for perspective taking

Embodied Mental Self-Rotation

more empathetic = one adopts the other’s viewpoint

shared

Mental Object-Rotation

does not need to take the other into consideration when rotating the world towards us

egocentric

Hamilton et al (2009)

autistic childern have difficulties with eSR but not with OR